Hell and the Mercy of God

Hell and the Mercy of God by Adrian J Reimers, 243 pages

Universalism, the belief that, in the end, everyone is saved, is remarkably popular in contemporary Christianity, given that it is rejected as heretical by virtually every major denomination and tradition.  According to Adrian Reimers, this is the result of a sentimentality that obscures the truth about God, man, heaven, hell, Satan, this world, and the world to come.  These are truths proclaimed most convincingly not by shadowy religious authorities supposedly concocting myths about eternal punishment as an instrument of control, but by the hells men - ordinary men - build in this world, of which the empire of Satan is both inspiration and consummation.  For every action involves a choice of values, and a sin is an action by which a man sets himself up as a rival against God, rejecting truth, goodness, and beauty in favor of pride, power, and subjugation.

Although he is plumbing deep theological waters, Reimers' writing is accessible to everyone.  Refreshingly, he does not attempt to explain away Scripture and Tradition, but embraces their teachings on the existence of fallen angels and the fate of the human soul as presenting the most compelling account of human freedom and the nature of the intellect.